How do we respond to violence that happens in our country's schools? Tougher consequences for violent acts? Increased security systems and measures? Gun control laws? Increasing suspensions and expulsions of students? In the wake of the recent series of lethal attacks by students on their fellow classmates and teachers, all of these measures have been suggested.

A violent society, poverty, lack of adult guidance and supervision, viewing violence, and models from the media and entertainment world have all been blamed as influences on our children and youth that promote violence. How do we know which to address for what populations or individuals?

Resiliency research indicates that protective factors help children overcome some of the negative influences in their lives. Key features of families, schools, and communities that have protected children are (a) caring and support; (b) positive expectations, and (c) ongoing opportunities for participation. Early onset and consistency of any protective factors are important in maximizing children's developmental outcomes.

While there is no known "formula" for responding to violence that is encountered at school, in the home or in the community, a comprehensive approach using activities that are aimed at prevention, promoting activities that enhance learning and development, are positive strategies to help increase protective factors. As James Comer wrote,

"…the state of our school is not the problem itself, but a reflection of the condition of the larger society." 1

What Can Family Resource Centers Do?
The comprehensive work of increasing protective factors for children and families can be initiated through the work of the family center or family resource center. Most importantly, the Family Center can provide a non-threatening, open avenue for students, parents, teachers and the community to come together to get help, resources, and solve problems. They can be the common ground between family, school and community. (For more information on Family Centers, go to Family Resource Centers)

The following are suggestions from two very different sources on combating violence and crime. The first source, Fight Crime: Invest In Kids, is a national anti-crime organization led by more than 250 police chiefs, sheriffs, police-association presidents, prosecutors, and survivors of violent crime. The second is from the Oregon State Schools Superintendent who made this statement after a violent shooting in an Oregon high school.

Quality Child Care and After School Programs: Powerful Weapons Against Crime
(Source: the National School Safety Committee's "Fight Crime - Invest In Kids" Web site: www.fightcrime.org/).

Facts about crime and crime prevention:

• Ninety-two percent of police chiefs nationwide agree that this country would decrease crime if it were to invest in programs serving early childhood and youth.
• Early childhood development programs for at-risk children with a component of parent education, support, and efforts to involve parents have been effective in the prevention of future delinquency and crime.
• Home-visiting programs greatly reduce child abuse and neglect while improving parenting skills.
• The peak hours for juvenile crime are between 2:00 and 8:00 PM.
• Quality after-school, weekend and summer programs for children and youth can provide a safe place to develop social skills, come in contact with role models and mentors, learn practical life skills, and engage in constructive activities to help them succeed later in life.
• As of 1995, more than three out of four women with children and youth work outside of the home.
• More than half of all mothers of one-year-olds work outside of the home either full or part time.
• Quality childcare is financially out of reach for the country's most at-risk children and youth.
• Investing in children early saves lives, fear and dollars.

How-To Steps:

• Provide infants, toddlers and preschoolers access to quality childcare, or parental leave.
• Strengthen families and reduce child abuse and neglect and delinquency by offering parenting education and support through home visitation and providing community or school-based family resource programs.
• Provide school-age children and teens access to quality after-school care, weekend and summer programs that offer recreation, academic support and community service opportunities.

Oregon State Schools Superintendent Norma Paulus released the following suggestions for what schools, parents, and students can do following the tragic shooting at Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon. (Source: Oregon Dept. of Education, News Release 5/22/98)

What Schools Can Do
Develop programs that identify antisocial behavior in young children and help them develop positive social skills. Do this in conjunction with other local programs that help children, including family support agencies, mental health services, county juvenile departments and law enforcement agencies. An effective program will help students develop:

• Healthy behavior patterns, including leadership and school success
• Healthy beliefs and clear standards, including honesty and integrity
• Attachment and commitment to family, community, school and peers

Develop a list of counseling and other problem-solving resources and distribute to parents. Encourage and train staff members to establish mutually respectful relationships with individual students. Such relationships are essential if students are to feel safe at school. Maintain open communication with students in non-emergency situations; for threatening behavior, the student can receive help away from school and is prevented from coming back to the campus for a reasonable period of time. Conduct monthly or bimonthly crisis drills with staff and students that include:

• How staff members should approach people on campus that is unknown to them
• Guidance on dealing with threatening speech or behavior by students
• How to alert the entire school to an emergency and to quickly lock classroom doors against intruders
• How to keep students, staff, parents and the media informed

Send a letter from the superintendent or principal to all parents, reviewing the safety measures that are in place in the school or district. List the steps the school or district is taking to increase campus security and seek parent support for security measures.

What Parents Can Do
Show respect for children and listen to them. Encourage them to try new skills and learn from mistakes. Treat them as responsible family members and allow them to experience the satisfaction of completing their own work. Constantly remind children that there are multiple solutions to virtually every problem and there is no problem that cannot be solved. Treat guns and violence as permanent non-solutions to temporary problems. Watch for signs of rising anxiety in the first few days after a tragedy occurs.

Watch for these warning signs of potential violence:

• Harming animals is often found in children who have been severely physically or sexually abused.
• Throwing rocks and other dangerous objects.
• Threatening violence. Threats should be taken seriously, especially if the youngster describes how he or she would hurt someone else.
• Withdrawing from usual social activities.
• Showing a strong interest in guns or violence.
• Losing the ability to manage daily activities.
• Losing interest in school.
• Expressing anger at a change in relationships.

When a problem appears to be bigger than what the parents and child can handle, contact the school. Many schools work with mental health, child welfare and juvenile justice agencies on a regular basis to find help for children in trouble. Many schools also have counselors who can help children with problems. Do not assume that a child's serious problem is just a phase.

Other tips:

• Lock up any firearms away from children.
• Teach children to talk with a trusted adult if they hear or see anything that signals danger.
• Volunteer as a lunchroom or hall monitor at school. Attend school programs, parent-teacher conferences, parent-association meetings and other campus activities.
• Take part in parenting classes.
• Provide after-school care and supervision for your children. Support public investment in quality child care and after-school programs for students who need them.
• Become familiar with school discipline procedures and the consequences of student misbehavior.
• Share ideas for school safety with principals and school boards; volunteer on school or district safety committees.

What Students Can Do
Report threatening speech or behavior to a responsible adult. Don't try to determine if the threat is real or not; that is the adult's responsibility. Establish a mutually respectful relationship with a caring adult on campus. This is essential to an ongoing feeling of safety at school. Maintain mutually respectful relationships with peers. Respect their emotions and protect their right to be safe at school. Know the resources that are available in the building, including adult counselors and peer groups. Ask for help when it's needed. Talk with someone when you're feeling angry or sad. Have a personal anger management plan, a set of mental steps to go through when problems cause anger such as:

• Pausing to calm down helps you think rationally.
• Identifying the problem.
• Identifying the consequences of taking violent action.
• Thinking of nonviolent alternative actions that will resolve the problem.

Remember that there are multiple solutions to virtually every problem and that problems can be solved in a positive manner. Help other students by becoming a peer mentor or mediator.

1 (James P. Comer from Waiting for A Miracle: Why Schools Can't Solve Our Problems and We Can. New York, NY: Dutton Books. 1997).

Resources on Safe Schools:
The National Safe Schools Resource Center, is operated under the joint sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Education's Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program and the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. This site includes a SafeSchools/Healthy Students Initiative Application Package.

By Request, a series of research-based booklets examining best practices is available on the Web. One booklet, Peaceful Schools, digests current research on school-violence prevention and examines how Northwest schools are addressing safety issues. www.nwrel.org/request/oct98/index.html

Northwest Education, an award-winning educational magazine, is available on the Web. "Learning in Peace: Schools Look Toward a Safer Future" explores the development of a climate of respect within a school community, and discusses behaviors, emotions, and attitudes leading to violence. www.nwrel.org/nwedu/

Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools is a publication to help teachers, parents, principals, and school-district leaders reach out to troubled children quickly and effectively and prevent violence in schools. The publication was developed at the request of President Clinton by the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice, in cooperation with the National Association of School Psychologists, and is available by calling 1-877-4ED-PUBS or by visiting www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/earlywrn.html.

Books for Children

• Ames L.B.et.al. (1989). He hit me first: When brothers and sisters fight. Warner Books.
  
• Blomquist, G.& Blomquist, P.(1991). Zachery's new home: A story for foster & adopted children. American Psychological Society.
  
• Byars, B. The T.V. kid. Puffin Books. (Grades 4-6).
  
• Goffe,T. Bully for you. Child's Play Intnl.Ltd.
  
• Cain, B.S. (1990). Double dip feelings: Stories to help children understand emotions. Magination.
  
• Coerr E. (1979). Sadako and the thousand paper cranes. Yearly Books. (about peace).
  
• Cohn, J. (1994). Why did it happen? Helping children cope in a violent world. Morrow Junior Books.
  
• Cohn, J. (1987). I Had a Friend Named Peter. Talking to children about the death of a friend. William Morrow & Co.
  
• DiGiovanni, K. My House is Different.
  
• Gil, E. (1986). I told my secret: A book for kids who were abused. Launch Press.
  
• Goff, B. (1985). Where is daddy? A story of a Divorce. Beacon Press.
  
• Hipp E., et.al.(1995). Fighting invisible tigers: A stress management guide for teens. Free Spirit Pubs.
  
• Judith Viorst. (1976). The Tenth Good Thing About Barney. Aladdin. (loss & death).
  
• Laskin & Moskowitz. Wish Upon a Star. (for a child with mentally ill parent).
  
• Lindsey, J. (1992). Do I have a daddy? A story for a single-parent child. Morning Glory.
  
• Loomans, D. (1991). The lovables in the kingdom of self-esteem. Starseed Press.
  
• Milman, D. (1991). Secret of the Peaceful Warrior: A story about courage and love. Starseed Press.
  
• Near, H. (1997). The great peace march. Holt.
  
• Palmer, P. (1977). The mouse, the monster and me. Impact Pubs.
  
• Sanford & Evans. I can't talk about it - A child's book about sexual abuse.